The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) recently announced that it will launch an on-road targeted operation focused on mechanical safety and compliance with mass, dimension and loading requirements of heavy vehicles operating in support of the construction sector.The operation will commence this month and run for four weeks across NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, ACT, and TAS, according to NHVR COO Paul Salvati.
The NSW Government recently announced that SafeWork NSW will become a standalone, independent regulator following a 12-month inquiry. An independent report commissioned by the government and conducted by former judge Robert McDougall KC made a significant number of reform recommendations for creating a more modern, stronger and fit-for-purpose WHS regulator.
There are important governance considerations for WHS professionals and their organisations in developing and rolling out artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, according to Schellie-Jayne Price, an expert in the area. While many organisations are at different stages of the AI adoption curve, Price said she has yet to encounter any organisation that believes it has fully mastered AI governance.
While construction companies have traditionally focused on managing work-related physical safety risks, they have yet to pay close attention to managing work-related health and wellbeing risks, according to RMIT University. This is even though construction workers are exposed to a vast array of well-known occupational health risks, including hazardous chemicals, airborne dust and fibres, ultraviolet radiation, noise, vibration, and biological and zoonotic hazards, said Helen Lingard, Distinguished Professor in the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University.
The number of sites that contain asbestos-contaminated mulch is rising across NSW and the ACT, with investigations underway to confirm their potential safety risks. Contaminated mulch was first discovered at Rozelle Parklands in Sydney, with the number of positive cases recently rising to more than 60 sites including Erskine Park Zone Substation, Robyn Kemmis Reserve, Campbelltown Hospital and a public school at Liverpool.
Mental health conditions accounted for 9 per cent of all serious workers’ compensation claims in 2021-2022, which is a 37 per cent increase since 2017-18, according to a Safe Work Australia report. It also found the median time lost was more than four times greater than that of all physical injuries and illnesses, while workers with claims for mental health conditions experienced poorer return-to-work outcomes and were more likely to experience stigma from colleagues and their employers.
WorkSafe Victoria recently issued a safety alert following two separate incidents that involved the decanting and blending of flammable liquids, resulting in two fatalities and other serious injuries. The incidents are believed to have occurred when static electricity discharged within a hazardous area resulted in an explosion and fire.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland recently issued a safety alert highlighting the risks associated with delivering concrete to mobile and static concrete pumps in the construction industry. The alert was issued following several recent incidents involving concrete delivery to pumps, which have caused actual and the potential for serious injuries.
What are the WHS implications of the “right to disconnect” Workers will be able to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from their employer as part of a new law which grants them the “right to disconnect” from work outside of normal working hours, unless the refusal is unreasonable.
Five workplace fatalities and several workplace incidents which resulted in serious injuries over one week serve as a tragic but timely reminder to employers and businesses about safety, according to SafeWork NSW. In 2022, there was approximately one workplace fatality a week in NSW, but in a period of four days, five people died at workplaces across the state.
